Cosplay as a Form of Art

Welcome to KOEI Warriors (Forum). We hope you enjoy your visit.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls.

As a member you will also have access the exclusive Members Only Section where you will be privvy to a wide range of KOEI Warriors Renders, OSTs and Videos.
Registration is simple, fast, and completely free!

Join our community!

If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features!

Cosplay as a Form of Art; More than just dressing up?
Topic Started: Feb 6 2009, 06:12 AM (672 Views)
Manji	Feb 6 2009, 06:12 AM Post #1
delicious... Posts: 2,327 Group: Global Moderators Member #9,417 Joined: August 28, 2007 Gender Female	How do you feel about cosplay being considered a form of art? Do you think making and wearing a costume justifies a work of art, or is it just subjective (in the eyes of the beholder?) What about those who do not make their own costumes... does the act of wearing one to a convention deserve the same "art" status as someone who has made their own, even if it's not as good? Well, I personally think that all costuming can be considered a form of art. I mean, people go to ART SCHOOLS to become fashion designers. So yes, I consider creating a costume for cosplay as a work of art. I even would go as far to say that wearing one in a masquerade or skit could be considered a "preforming art" of sorts. Even if a cosplay isn't the best out there, I think a mediocre cosplay is still making a statement about the wearer/creator. Whether it be that "I'm lazy" or "I don't have enough money" or "this is my first costume" or "I just really like such-and-such character" there is still a message presented in the presentation, otherwise the cosplayer probably wouldn't bother creating one in the first place. So, what are other peoples thought's? I'd be interested in hearing some opposing opinions.
	Ghetto Website for Koei Komics! t h e n i g h t m a r e b e g i n s...


wildcard	Feb 6 2009, 09:54 AM Post #2
The one... the amazing... the powerful... ME! Posts: 374 Group: Members Member #20,437 Joined: January 17, 2009 Gender Female	Of course cosplay is art. I've always seen it as such. Especially considering 'designing clothes' is a form of art as well and adding to that 'modelling' weapons and various accessoirs definitly is in a way like skulpturing => also art. And since acting/performance or just showing off like a model does clothes is part of cosplaying and THAT is also considered art. Thus I'd say cosplay is definitly something considered art. If you do a whole cosplay yourself you are actually combing three various arts into one: - acting - sewing/designing - modelling Sometimes you also have to rely on other handicraft skills, so... Jupp ^^ Cosplay IS Art
	*HanbeiCute?Or evil?* I'm a proud fan of BOTH, Samurai Warriors AND Sengoku Basara. Bashing either at own risk.


kuni_izumi	Feb 6 2009, 08:41 PM Post #3
Breaker of Destined Fate Posts: 592 Group: Members Member #12,299 Joined: December 30, 2007	Cosplay over all involves many different art forms of which any one of them a person could participate in without necessarily doing any others. Firstly you have the Costume itself, and the performance For the costume several things need to be considered- The clothing itself Armor Weapons Wigs/hair make-up jewelry props/other crafted items. Some of these can overlap of course, but they all need to be taken into consideration. A person might do someone's make up but never have any intention of cosplaying--still they've contributed their make-up artist skills. Performance: This isn't quite as varied, but it's where a lot of people who buy costumes excel. Still there are different aspects. Overall look (this can often have more to do with body/type facial structure than people have control over) Matching poses Matching voices Mannerisms Quotes/skits Martial arts/dancing/singing (being able to perform the same SKILLS the character has) Just for costume. Total immersion (the person 'becomes' the character while wearing the costume) Adella (famous for doing Aerith cosplay) often gets a bad rap from a lot of people for 'not being nice' or freaking out when people get in her space but she is NOT a total immersion cosplayer. A lot of her photo sessions hint at that, but a lot of the time she has trouble with other people treat her like she IS Aerith. For example, at one con she was dressed as Aerith with of course, a very long wig. A girl came running up and grapped the braid and pulled HARD on it, nearly ripping it off her head, which, because of all the pins keeping it in hurt INCREDIBLY. Naturally the reaction to that is to turn around and scream at the person wonder what the hell they think they're doing! Then the person just wilted and went... "I just...I really HATE Aerith!" ...cosplay can sometimes be hazardous to your health! It's always important to try and gage HOW FAR the cosplayer themselves has gone, and when in doubt, assume less than you might think. ALWAYS of course treat EVERYONE with respect and dignity! Whether they're in a costume or not!
	Listings - War of the Gifted - Gifted RP Character Listing - OOC Page


Nutella	Feb 7 2009, 04:33 PM Post #4
May contain nuts Posts: 798 Group: Members Member #9,964 Joined: September 27, 2007	To the typical layman, Cosplay is not considered to be an art but rather things kids do to pass their time. When I told my friend I wore costumes/ cosplay, she just didn't think of it much. Until she actually realised that I made the costumes myself, then there was that different light in her eyes. Still its not accepted by many as an artform but only as an expensive hobby.
	Ramblings\|\|Doodles\|\|Fictions


kuni_izumi	Feb 7 2009, 05:02 PM Post #5
Breaker of Destined Fate Posts: 592 Group: Members Member #12,299 Joined: December 30, 2007	Nutella Feb 7 2009, 04:33 PM To the typical layman, Cosplay is not considered to be an art but rather things kids do to pass their time. When I told my friend I wore costumes/ cosplay, she just didn't think of it much. Until she actually realised that I made the costumes myself, then there was that different light in her eyes. Still its not accepted by many as an artform but only as an expensive hobby. Some people consider sports a bit of an art form too--the way someone can dribble (basketball or soccer) and things like that...it's a physical performance that can be called art. I call it sports. There's art in almost everything. A hobby building model ships is art. A hobby drawing is art. Anything where you produce an item, or create a performance is able to be classified as art. However, art and beauty are entirely subjective matters. So what is or isn't will be different for everyone.
	Listings - War of the Gifted - Gifted RP Character Listing - OOC Page


Qing Long	Feb 7 2009, 11:25 PM Post #6
青龙 Posts: 1,712 Group: Moderators Member #6,080 Joined: March 15, 2007	Cosplay as a Form of Art ? Well, it depend of how we describe the word Art. Art meaning is different for everyone, each of us. (It looks like the meaning of Beauty, everyone has a different view too) I think Cosplay is Art in a sort, because cosplayers create a costume with some bases (as Art Clothes Design or Creation, a sort of Art) & when they're cosplayed, they play the character they chose (like in theatre, a sort of Art too)
	☆ o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-\| Sorry for my bad English (English isn't my first language), forgive my mistakes, please, thank you ~ Family o Gallery o KW Addict o KW France o SOTW #43 o WO Avatar


Avuneon	Mar 5 2009, 05:12 PM Post #7
Villain's Sweet Chosen Posts: 235 Group: Members Member #13,200 Joined: February 10, 2008	Art is a very loose term in general, when you think about it. I once went to an exhibit in San Francisco where I saw, I swear, a urinal on a pedestal in the middle of the room. That was it. A urinal. Also what about the happenings of the 1950s and '60s? Eye of the beholder? Very much so. I feel that Cosplay is very much an artform with all it's details and variations. One thing that one should always try and take into account is the interpretation of the cosplayer. Just because your feelings about a character may be positive, another person might think that they are complete jerks. Take that girl pulling on Adella's hair, for example. Respect. Respect is key. One may not like the Mona Lisa, but the respect is there. The same should apply to dance, acting, sculpture, music, etc. I will stop here before it turns into a full blown rant Whoops
	Thanks Mits for the sig! �...Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.� - Stephen King The Pack, House Avuneon, the Avuneon Dynasty and my place in various lists. "You talk like King Arthur...." -Zhen Ji~


Nefertieh	Jun 2 2009, 03:55 PM Post #8
... Posts: 41 Group: Members Member #11,854 Joined: December 12, 2007 Gender Female	Technically you can call anything art. =/ Whether it is making a costume or wearing it (modelling? :P). Cosplay will inevitably get you attention, I had to learn the hard way. xD People will expect to take photos with you, talk to you, even insult whatever character you're cosplaying. ~___~ But don't let that put you off, there are nice people around as well. :3



1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)


« Previous Topic · Cosplay · Next Topic »